Tag: Triple Crown

West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stables' Jace's Road, who finished a good third in the Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs two starts back, has been installed as Mike Diliberto's tepid 3-1 favorite for Monday's Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. In addition to the $100,000 purse, the Gun Runner will offer the top five finishing 2-year-olds 10-4-3-2-1 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

A dominant winner of a six furlong sprint at first asking on Aug. 6 at Ellis Park, Jace's Road stepped up into the Iroquois and stretched out to 1 1/16 miles. In a tight spot between horses while pressing an honest early pace, Jace's Road cut to the rail late but finished third best behind Curly Jack (who is being pointed to the Risen Star (G2) on Feb 18 at Fair Grounds, according to trainer Tom Amoss).

Sent off as the 2-1 favorite in the Street Sense (G3) on the Churchill Downs' “Stars of Tomorrow I” card last out, Jace's Road tossed jockey Florent Geroux prior to the gate load, and despite breaking alertly, he was never comfortable during the running of the race, fading off the scene early to finish a distant eighth of ten.

“He got a little worked up,” Cox said of his colt's pre-race antics. “That's not him, at least it wasn't until that day. He might not have cared for the conditions and the sloppy track. It was not his day. We ran five horses that day, it was none of their day. We've schooled him in the gate and his work here the other day (:49 3/5 on Dec. 18) was really good. He deserves another shot and he breezed here awful well to not be a factor.”

From post 2 of 7, Geroux will return to the saddle on Monday aboard the lukewarm 3-1 Gun Runner favorite. The son of Quality Road is one of eight horses representing trainer Brad Cox in seven of the 13 “Road to the Derby Kickoff Day” races. First post will be noon CT.

It took him six tries to break his maiden, but John C. Oxley's Determinedly served notice with an emphatic 7 1/2 length victory over seven furlongs on Churchill Downs' “Stars of Tomorrow II” card last out. No worse than fourth in his young career, the son of Cairo Prince ran in three consecutive two-turn turf races late summer and early fall, but he has taken his game to a new level since returning to dirt.

“He ran really well last time getting the win,” Mark Casse's assistant trainer on the grounds David Carroll said. “The race before at Keeneland (Nov 5) he was second to Arabian Knight (3-5 favorite) who is a nice horse. He's doing super. He worked 47 and change last week (Dec. 10), a little faster than we wanted. We slowed him down for his next work (:51 on Dec. 17). He's really getting over the track nicely. Luis (Saez) is coming in town to ride him.”

With Saez aboard, Determinedly (7-2 ML) will break from post 3.

Already a grade two winner on turf, Susan Moulton's Andthewinneris has only run once on dirt, finishing a distant third behind the multiple grade one placed Gulfport in the Bashford Manor on July 4 at Churchill Downs. Third in the With Anticipation (G3) in his follow-up start at Saratoga, he displayed a scintillating turn of foot when storming from well off the pace to win the Bourbon (G2) on the Keeneland grass going away. In his most recent start, the son of Oscar Performance split the 14-horse field in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, but he was beaten less than four lengths by the winner.

A four-time grade on winner on turf, Oscar Performance has proved to be a productive and versatile first crop stallion, producing the stakes winning dirt sprinter Red Carpet Ready and the stakes-placed Louisiana-bred Tumbarumba, among others.

“We're going to see how he likes the surface,” trainer Wayne Catalano said of Andthewinneris, who drew post 7 (7-2) with Corey Lanerie in tow. 

Scheduled as race 11 of 13 with a 5 p.m. CT post time, here is the complete field for the Gun Runner from the rail out (with jockey, trainer, and morning line odds):

1. Hayes Strike (Brian Hernandez, Jr, Ken McPeek, 7-2 ),
2. Jace's Road (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 3-1),
3. Determinedly (Luis Saez, Mark Casse, 7-2),
4. Old Alliance (Colby Hernandez, Mike Stidham, 10-1),
5. Mazing Mark (Juan Vargas, Lonnie Briley, 10-1),
6. Raise Cain (Luis Machado, Ben Colbrook, 8-1),
7. Andthewinneris (Corey Lanerie, Wayne Catalano, 7-2).

Off a third place performance behind the undefeated and highly regarded Hoosier Philly in the Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs last time out, Godolphin's Pretty Mischievous has been tabbed as the lukewarm 3-1 favorite against nine rivals for Monday's Untapable Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. In addition to the $100,000 purse, the Untapable will offer the top five finishing 2-year-old fillies 10-4-3-2-1 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

With Hoosier Philly awaiting the Rachel Alexandra (G2) on Feb. 18 according to trainer Tom Amoss, the door is open for other soon to be 3-year-old fillies to make their mark. A visually impressive winner on debut over 6 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs on Sept. 18, the Brendan Walsh-trained Pretty Mischievous was the 1-5 favorite in her follow-up allowance sprint. She came through for her many backers, but over a sloppy track, the win was not nearly as appealing to the eye. Stretched out for the first time in the Golden Rod, the daughter of Into Mischief stumbled slightly at the start. Stalking from the rail, she swung wide off the turn and stayed on for third, beaten 5 1/4 lengths by the odds-on favorite.

Pretty Mischievous is out of the Tapit mare Pretty City Dancer, who won the Spinaway (G1) at age two. Her career lasted only eight starts, but she was always thought of as a sprinter. Her second foal drew the rail for the Untapable and Brian Hernandez, Jr. will ride her for the first time.

A distant fifth of six on debut at Saratoga after a compromised start and wide trip, Belladonna Racing and Edward J. Hudson's Vahva took a huge step forward in her second career start at the Spa on Sept 4. Off a bit awkwardly, she quickly asserted herself and showed much better speed than she had on debut. She built a four-length lead into the stretch, only to get nailed right on the finish line by Take Charge Briana, who has failed in a trio of stakes runs since.

Off seven weeks, Vahva was bet down to 3-2 favoritism against 11 rivals on Oct. 26 at Churchill Downs. Off a beat slow, she raced four-wide early before working out an advantageous pressing trip through moderate fractions. She responded when asked and drew off as much the best in that seven furlong contest. By Gun Runner, she is the sixth and best foal out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Holiday Soiree, who was a G1-placed sprinter during her racing career.

A troubled and late closing third in her career debut over seven furlongs at Keeneland in October, Ike and Dawn Thrash's The Alys Look had another rough go in her follow-up start over a sloppy track 18 days later, but that time she got rank over a sloppy track when stretched out around two turns. Fast forward to Dec. 1 at Fair Grounds: the blinkers came off, but the speed stayed on, and the daughter of Connect, who was purchased for just $60,000 as a Keeneland September Yearling, darted away to win by seven lengths under a Florent Geroux hand ride.

“She's always acted like she could run,” Cox said. “I think she was just a little too aggressive with blinkers in her second run, so we took them off. I thought she would like the added ground, and she did here. It's a big step up, but if she can run well she can be in the mix moving forward.”

Geroux, who has been aboard for every start, will once again pilot The Alys Look, this time from post six.

Scheduled as race 12 of 13 with a 5:30 p.m. CT post time, here is the complete field for the Untapable from the rail out (with jockey, trainer, and morning line odds):

1. Pretty Mischievous (Brian Hernandez, Jr, Brendan Walsh, 3-1),
2. Two Minute Drill (James Graham, Jason Barkley, 8-1),
3. Hang the Moon (Rey Gutierrez, Mike Stidham, 15-1),
4. Vahva (Luis Saez, Cherie DeVaux, 7-2),
5. Cotton Candy Annie (Mitchell Murrill, Armando Hernandez, 15-1),
6. The Alys Look (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 4-1),
7. All About Me (Colby Hernandez, Mike Stidham, 6-1),
8. Just Like Magic (Edgar Morales, Tom Amoss, 15-1),
9. Hayunevano (Marcelino Pedroza, Jr., Sam David, Jr., 10-1), and
10. Miss Shipman (Juan Vargas, Lonnie Briley, 12-1).

The post Road To The Kentucky Derby: Graded Turf Winner Andthewinneris Makes Switch To Dirt For Monday’s Gun Runner Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Wildatlanticstorm keyed a lot of firsts, winning the $400,000 Springboard Mile on Saturday night, for trainer Ray Ashford at 15-1 odds. The large colt scored the biggest 2-year-old stakes race of the Remington Park season in Oklahoma City, Okla.

For the third time in the past five years, a locally-based horse took on all shippers and got the best of them. It was the first time in this race's 22 years that an Iowa-bred had won. It also was the first time Ashford had entered a horse in the Springboard Mile and the first time that jockey Leandro Goncalves had ridden in the race.

Only seven other trainers have won the Springboard Mile in their first try – Saffie Joseph Jr. (2021, Make It Big), Todd Fincher (2020, Senor Buscador), Adam Kitchingman (2017, Greyvitos), Joe Sharp (2016, Cool Arrow), Danele Durham (2012, Texas Bling), Graham Motion (2009, Turf Melody) and Gary Thomas (2007, Golden Yank).

Ashford, a 51-year-old conditioner from Carlsbad, N.M., who has a home in Moore, Okla., had this 3-year-old son of Stormy Atlantic (Storm Cat) wound up and ready to fire. The break from the gate was the first good omen for Wildatlanticstorm as 4-5 favorite Giant Mischief from trainer Brad Cox's barn, a shipper from Kentucky, lunged at the start, spotting the field a couple of lengths. Wildatlanticstorm, under Goncalves, settled in third in the early going and the jock kept him out of harm's way down on the inside rail.

“I just sat between horses as we hit the backstretch. Coming up the rail, I knew we were loaded,” Goncalves said. “The last sixteenth of a mile I was kind of scared because he looked at the lights, but I could feel I had more left.”

It's a good thing, too, because jockey Florent Geroux, aboard Giant Mischief, was making up every bit of ground he had lost at the start. In the end, Wildatlanticstorm held off the favorite by 1 1/4 lengths. It was the 18th time in 22 years that the favorite in the race had been beaten. It was also the fifth time in the past 10 years that the winner had prepped at Remington Park. Wildatlanticstorm came into the Springboard off a win in the $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes on Oct. 28.

Goncalves also became the 10th jockey to win the Springboard Mile in his first try. He joined the likes of Jose Ortiz (2021), Victor Espinoza (2017), Luis Saez (2016), Erik McNeil (2012), Jeremy Rose (2009), the late Miguel Mena (2008), Carlos Gonzalez (2007), Brian Hernandez, Jr. (2004) and Donnie Meche (2002).

Wildatlanticstorm covered the one mile in 1:38.24 over a fast track after chasing fractions set by Echo Again and American Outlaw of :23.89 for the first quarter-mile, :47.14 for the half, 1:12.07 for three-quarters of a mile and 1:24.59 for seven-eighths of a mile.

Owner Jim Jorgensen, who also bred the winner, earned $240,000 for Wildatlanticstorm's victory and his horse improved to six starts, four wins and two seconds for $366,568.

Wildatlanticstorm raced on the bleeder medication Lasix, so he didn't earn any Kentucky Derby points, but Ashford said that was the plan.

“We were going to see how he did in this race and if he showed he was good enough, we will have to take him off (Lasix) down the road in other Kentucky Derby point races,” said Ashford.

The Steve Asmussen trainee, Echo Again (9-5), earned three Kentucky Derby points for finishing third, three lengths back of Giant Mischief in second. Gunflash (20-1), from the meet's top trainer Karl Broberg, earned two points for fourth and Campfire Creed (12-1)  got one point from the Danny Pish barn for fifth. They were the only three horses that raced without Lasix. The rest of the finish in the race was Money Run (sixth at 80-1), Lil Sweet Thang (seventh, 16-1), Ghost Hero (eighth, 19-1) and American Outlaw (ninth, 25-1).

“We are really tired right now; we saw that five horse coming (Giant Mischief) and I got really nervous,” said Ashford. “We will rest a couple of days and then make a game plan for him.”

Wildatlanticstorm paid $32 to win, $7.40 to place and $4 to show. He is the first foal for his dam, Imsortaspecial, by Big Brown. The winner became only the fourth chestnut to win the Springboard and he is the big red horse in the barn.

“My boys had this horse up at Claremore (Will Rogers Downs) while I was at Lone Star Park this summer (in July) and they'd call me every day bragging on the red horse. The red horse. The red horse. I had to pull the Dad card and get him to Lone Star and when he got there I saw that they were right.”

Tracked by more than 172,000 fans on Facebook and 10,700 Twitter followers, Remington Park has provided more than $311 Million to the State of Oklahoma general education fund since the opening of the casino in 2005. Located at the junction of Interstates 35 & 44, in the heart of the Oklahoma City Adventure District, Remington Park live racing will return in March 2023 with the start of the American Quarter Horse, Paint and Appaloosa season. Remington Park presents simulcast racing daily and non-stop casino gaming. Visit remingtonpark.com for more information.

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Expected to be named Champion Juvenile Colt of 2022, Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Forte is unlikely to race again until March of his sophomore season. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher told the Thoroughbred Daily News that for his first start of 2023, the son of Violence will be targeted at the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 4.

Following the Fountain of Youth, Pletcher plans to send Forte to either the G1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland or keep him at Gulfstream for the G1 Florida Derby.

“I like the Grade 1 status of those races and the timing. As for the Blue Grass, he certainly seems to like the track at Keeneland,” Pletcher told TDN.

A three-time Grade 1 winner, Forte already has a victory over the Keeneland track (Breeders' Futurity). The colt was a $110,000 purchase at the Keeneland September yearling sale, and broke his maiden at first asking in May at Belmont Park. He finished fourth in the G3 Sanford, then won three straight concluding with the Breeders' Cup.

Forte is the current leader in the Road to the Kentucky Derby points standings with 40.

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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Churchill Downs Racetrack has unveiled the official logo for the 149^th running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, and the event mark pays homage to a notable anniversary and salutes the victors of one of the most incredibly testing and rare feats in all of sports.

Highlighted by the Kentucky Derby's iconic color palette of red, black, gold and white, the Kentucky Derby 149 logo features diamonds intended to replicate the blocks in legendary Secretariat's famed blue and white silks as 2023 will be the 50^th anniversary of his unforgettable Triple Crown sweep. Meanwhile, the specific number of 13 diamonds is reverence to the number of Thoroughbreds that won all three races in the Triple Crown.

The diamonds are set within a Coat of Arms shield that projects the achievements, heritage, longevity and stability of the Kentucky Derby, which dates back to 1875.

The logo, designed by New York-based marketing agency SME, will be used on a wide variety of Kentucky Derby merchandise, including apparel for the whole family, the iconic silver Mint Julep cups, glassware, jewelry and other collectibles and gift items. Women's and men's T-shirts featuring the logo are available now at www.KentuckyDerbyStore.com. Additional official merchandise also will be available online, at Churchill Downs Racetrack, the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport, the Kentucky Derby Museum Gift Shop and other retail outlets.

ABOUT THE KENTUCKY DERBY

The $3 million Kentucky Derby takes place on the first Saturday in May at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Inaugurated in 1875, the legendary 1 ¼-mile race for 3-year-olds is the longest continually-held major sporting event in the United States and the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown series. Also known as, “The Run for the Roses” and “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,” the Kentucky Derby is the most attended horse race in the nation. The 149^th Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 6, 2023. For more information, please visit www.KentuckyDerby.com.

ABOUT CHURCHILL DOWNS RACETRACK

Churchill Downs Racetrack (“CDRT”), the world's most legendary racetrack, has been the home of The Kentucky Derby, the longest continually held annual sporting event in the United States, since 1875. Located in Louisville, CDRT features a series of themed race days during Derby Week, including the Kentucky Oaks, and conducts Thoroughbred horse racing during three race meets in the Spring, September, and the Fall. CDRT is located on 175 acres and has a one-mile dirt track, a 7/8-mile turf track, a stabling area, and provides seating for approximately 60,000 guests. The saddling paddock and the stable area has barns sufficient to accommodate 1,400 horses and a 114-room dormitory for backstretch personnel. CDRT also has a year-round simulcast wagering facility. www.ChurchillDowns.com.

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